St. Louis Catholic School Newsletter
December 15, 2017
A Message from the Principal...
Dear St. Louis Families,
 
It's not Christmas yet, but the church was filled with joyous voices singing "Feliz Navidad" during our Lessons and Carols program on Tuesday evening!  We were even joined with a surprise saxophone accompaniment by Fr. O'Hare, which was an extra treat. Santa Claus came to visit on Wednesday, as we provided a special luncheon for the Missionaries of Charity and the seniors of our parish - - the children were wonderful hosts and hostesses, as well as great performers of Christmas music. It is a true blessing to serve others, especially during the Advent season!
 
Next week is a short one - - we have an 11:30 dismissal on Wednesday, Dec. 20th, which is when Christmas Break begins!  We look forward to our days with Preschool Christmas Programs, classroom parties, and final assignments and projects before the holidays. Many blessings as you continue your preparations at home, enjoying family and friends!
 
If you don't follow us on twitter or Facebook yet, the social media links are here. See the photo of Santa with the Missionaries of Charity and our student singers from this past Wednesday on our twitter page!
 
Peace,

Kathleen McNutt
Principal
Weekly Prayer Intentions
Each day our school community prays for the intentions of our families. This week the following families were included in our prayers: Koch (4th & 6th), Koch (K, 4th 7 6th), Kokinda, Kornacki, Kramer, Krebs, Krut, Lankford, LaRochelle, and Lavanga.
School Announcements
Stay Connected - Follow Us on Social Media!
Comfy Clothes Day - Tuesday, Dec. 19
To celebrate collecting 5,010 items for the UCM Food Pantry, students may attend school on Tuesday, Dec. 19 in comfy clothes attire. Please refer to the handbook for comfy clothes guidelines.
Annual Fund Gifts - Last Call for 2017 Tax Deductions!
Please consider the St. Louis Catholic School Annual Fund as part of your year-end giving for 2017. St. Louis School is a 501(c)3 organization, and gifts made to the Annual Fund are tax deductible.
 
Your gift will ensure the continued safety and durability of the McClunn Hall floor for your child and their classmates. Or, consider becoming an Annual Fund Angel with a $300 gift to provide chromebooks for our students.
 
3 easy ways to give:
  • Check - Donations made by personal check must be received in the school office by Wednesday, Dec. 20th to be credited for 2017
  • PayPal - Conveniently make a payment online through the end of December:
  • Faith Direct - Keep in mind that any payments set up in December through Faith Direct will be applied to 2018
The current Annual Fund campaign runs through June 2018. Donations may be made at any time during the school year. For questions about the Annual Fund Campaign, please contact Kristin Matheis at 
Yearbook News!
To order a yearbook or upload photos for the yearbook, visit Pictavo Community at
www.commpe.pictavo.com. Use Google Chrome for best results. Please see the flyer for more information.
PTO
PTO BOARD
Sharon Moss, President   srjones@hotmail.com
Carolyn Koch, Vice President   carolynlett@yahoo.com
Beth Burke, Secretary   burke62801@gmail.com
Melissa McGuire, Treasurer    straydog64@gmail.com
Log Your Volunteer Hours!
As the first half of the school year comes to a close, now is a good time to make sure you have logged your volunteer hours to-date. Did you help out with the Hawks 5k or Hawks Day? Have you sent in items for a PTO bake sale or classroom party? Did you chaperone a field trip? All of these count toward your volunteer hours. Volunteer hours may be input online.
Still Need Volunteer Hours?

There are several opportunities at the start of the new year to volunteer:
  • Catholic Schools Week, Jan. 28-Feb. 3 - volunteers are needed to help out with this week-long celebration. Contact Tricia Reeder, triciareeder@gmail.com
     
  • Open House Tour Guide, Jan. 28 & Jan. 30 - parents who have been at the school 2 years or longer can volunteer to share our school with prospective families. Contact Kristin Matheis, development@stlouisschool.org
     
  • Silent Auction, Feb. 3 - volunteers are needed in advance of and the evening of this event. Contact Emily Chuma, emily.chuma@gmail.com
Keep in mind, the following opportunities count toward volunteer hours:
  • Classroom party donations = 1 hour/donation
  • PTO Meeting attendance (the next one is Jan. 16th!) = 1 hour/meeting
  • Silent Auction item purchases = 1 hour/$20 spent
  • Silent Auction donations =1 hour/$20 in value
  • Bake Sale items = 1 hour/donated item

Questions? Please contact Vanessa Milewski, vanessamilewski@yahoo.com
Save the date...Spirit Dinner @ Moe's, January 10th
Come to Moes Southwest Grill Wednesday, Jan. 10 from 5-9PM for our next Spirit Dinner. We will receive 20% of sales for the PTO. Please come out and support the PTO and hang out with your friends. In addition, some spicy food will warm you up in these cold winter months!
CYO & Extracurricular Activities
Girl Scouts Winter Coat Drive
St. Louis Girl Scouts are collecting gently-used winter coats (adult and child-sized) for UCM during the month of December and through January 5. Collection bins are located just outside the front office.
Parish & Community
St. Louis Church is adding a new Mass to its regular Sunday schedule
beginning in January - - a Sunday night 6:30pm Mass!

BI Hackathon for 8th Graders
Students from all over the Northern Virginia area are invited to learn about different subjects related to Computer Science and practice their skills with other high school coders like themselves. The environment is open to students of all skill levels, from beginner to advanced.  Eighth grade students are invited from 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM on January 20th. For more information, please see the attached letter and flyer.
UPCOMING CALENDAR EVENTS

Please refer to the school calendar on the website for additional information. Subscribe to the calendar to automatically receive all of the latest updates.

Dec. 20 - 11:30 Dismissal (PM EDC closed)
Dec. 21-Jan. 2 - Christmas Break
Jan. 3 - Classes resume for K-8
Jan. 9 - PTO Board Meeting, 7pm
Jan. 11 - 11:30 Dismissal, no PM EDC
Jan. 12 - No School
Jan. 15 - No School
Jan. 16 - PTO General Meeting, 7pm
Jan. 19 - March for Life
Jan. 22 - Winter Band & Chorus Concert, 7pm
Jan. 23 - Coffee with the Principal, 8:15am
Jan. 26 - End of 2nd Quarter
Jan. 28 - Catholic Schools Week, 8:45am
Jan. 28 - Open House for Prospective Families, 10am-1pm
Jan. 30 - Open House for Prospective Families, 9am-11am
Jan. 28 - Feb. 3 - Catholic Schools Week
St. Louis Catholic School
2901 Popkins Lane, Alexandria, VA 22306
Principal: Kathleen McNutt
Phone: 703-768-7732
www.stlouisschool.org
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